Beauty and health product counterfeiters are using cunning tactics such as infringed product and factory images and manipulated feedback ratings to dupe consumers and jeopardize brand equity, according to a new study by anti-counterfeiting and brand protection agency OpSec Security.

Italian fashion house Gucci has filed a lawsuit against a number of counterfeit Web sites and online merchants to help protect the brand’s image, although the legal battles are not likely to stop counterfeiters.